Theatrics galore, but the climax scene ends in arithmetic puzzle
There were plenty of theatrics from MPs during the two-day debate on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.
Parliamentarians from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) were at the forefront of protests against the 20A. They arrived in a vehicle procession on the first day of the debate on the amendment, with some decorating their vehicles with flags and posters condemning 20A. Several MPs even wore masks with “Vinashakari 20 Epa” (No to Destructive 20A).
The most striking visual however, was the red armbands sported by SJB MPs with the same slogan against 20A. It may not have had the Swastika, but the fact that the armbands bore a striking resemblance to those worn in Nazi uniforms seemed to have been lost on many MPs, who proudly showed them off to journalists and posted photographs of themselves with the armbands on social media.
If the significance was lost to SJB MPs, it was not lost on those from the Government. As soon as SJB MPs entered the Chamber wearing the armbands, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MPs Dilan Perera and Prasanna Ranatunge mocked the MPs, saying “You look like Hitler’s Nazi troops.”
One thing about most SJB MPs is that they love a spectacle, or rather, making a spectacle of themselves. So it was that Kurunegala District MP Nalin Bandara who read out the oath of allegiance taken by US citizens and even unfurled an American flag in the Chamber to protest against the move to lift restrictions on dual citizens from being MPs. Mr Bandara then went even further. Stating that all Sri Lankans, irrespective of their race, were hard to tell apart, he wore a black mask to “show how all sorts of people” will be allowed to become MPs once 20A is passed. “We’ll have Chinese, Americans
and those from so many other nations representing us in Parliament,” he claimed.
At this point, Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena rose to object. “There are things that an MP is allowed to carry into this Chamber and things he is not. We ask that the MP not turn this debate into a farce and we ask you to give an order against this,” he told Deputy Speaker Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, who was in the Chair.
“Honourable Deputy Speaker, this is my mask. It’s a special kind of mask,” Mr Bandara quipped, quickly putting his face masks to the black masks he had worn.
Facemasks would figure again during the debate when SJB National List MP Mayantha Dissanayake was presiding in the Chair. SLPP National List MP Dr Suren Raghavan took exception to Mr Dissanayake presiding in the Chair while wearing a face mask with the “No to 20A” slogan printed on it. Raising a point of order, Dr Raghavan pointed out that it raises questions of neutrality of the Chair. “If you need, I think they can provide you with a neutral mask, the SLPP MP Said. “My apologies, I’ll turn the mask around,” an embarrassed Mr Dissanayake said.
When it came to voting on the amendment, SJB MPs showed up with large stickers pasted on their chests which showed blood gushing out of a large bullet wound. At this point, it had become clear that some SJB MPs were going to vote with the Government. As soon as SLMC Batticaloa District MP Naseer Ahamed made his intentions to do so clear, some SJB MPs went and offered him the “No to 20A” armband to wear. Mr Ahamed refused. A video of SJB MP Thushara Indunil offering the SLMC MP a Rs 20 note, implying that his vote for 20A had been “bought” later went viral on social media.
The vote itself was extremely chaotic. It has been some years now since an electronic voting system was introduced to Parliament, yet the process continues to be plagued by difficulties. The voting consoles on the desks of some MPs never seem to work, while some of the older MPs could never seem to get the hang of it. This meant that the Speaker had to then call out the names of MPs who hadn’t been able to vote by name, asking how they are voting. Amid all the noise, the voice of the MPs did not carry through even with the mike, resulting in the Speaker having to question the MP several times.
In a final icing on the cake, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena botched the numbers of the result on the vote on the Second Reading. He announced that 156 MPs had voted for the amendment while 65 had voted against it, but said only 213 votes had been cast, leaving everyone scratching their heads.